Confession (13)

“It’s to make the other person anxious. Because it’s embarrassing to answer all at once.”

Henrik chattered on with the advice of an experienced man.

“Not just once…”

Reichardt, who had been speaking without realizing it, abruptly stopped.

The face that had been wrinkled with discomfort quickly feigned indifference.

Hm, if not for the sound rumbling in his throat, one could believe it wasn’t him who had just spoken.

“Your Highness.”

Henrik stared at Reichardt in astonishment.

“Leave.”

Reichardt covered his face with his hand to hide his furrowed brow.

His frantic wave was hurried.

“You mustn’t give up just because you were rejected.”

Henrik offered advice with a resolute look.

Reichardt’s expression cracked.

“Henrik.”

“You are the Lady’s fiancé. In the end, Your Highness will be her partner. But you mustn’t grow lazy just because you’re her fiancé. You can’t just give up because you were rejected. Keep trying until she accepts you!”

“Get out.”

“What about sending a gift?”

“I said leave.”

Henrik proposed various methods.

Reichardt waved his hand roughly to drive Henrik away.

“Your Highness, a woman’s pride…! Your Highness!”

Reichardt stopped rolling around and got up himself, chasing Henrik out of the room.

Henrik called to him with a regretful expression.

The door knocked urgently, followed by a pitiful voice.

Ignoring Henrik, who must have been worrying himself into delusions, Reichardt threw himself onto the bed.

A sigh slipped out unbidden.

Henrik kept searching for Reichardt, but when there was no response, he finally left.

He would probably come running before long, claiming to have found some brilliant solution, but since he had been driven out for now, Reichardt decided to forget it.

Though he often said foolish things, Henrik’s words carried truth.

“Pride.”

Reichardt rolled across the bed from one end to the other, muttering to himself.

The pounding heartbeat from the moment he had embraced Alicia still rang vividly in his ears.

When he confessed, he remembered the look on her face, as if she had heard something incomprehensible.

The face that had shed tears at his absurd plea.

After hearing her whisper that she did not like him, he had no right to say anything more.

“But then…”

Suddenly, his open lips froze before he could finish his murmur.

His cheeks twitched silently.

His pressed lips curled awkwardly, then relaxed.

Reichardt scratched his neck for no reason.

Even though he was alone, his face looked embarrassed, then quickly frowned again.

“Treatment?”

Alicia Rain’s treatment had been extraordinary.

With just two kisses, she had erased the unpleasant noise that had plagued Reichardt for over ten years.

The sound had vanished completely, and even after a whole day and into the second, there had been not the slightest sign of it.

“An incredible healer.”

Reichardt turned onto his right side, then onto his left, trying to grasp the sudden foreboding that struck him.

But his mind was silent.

Amidst complete tranquility, he tossed and turned, then finally sprang out of bed.

“I will go to Luderne.”

Outside the window, the sky was painted with sunset.

It was the vague hour of evening.

Alicia was refusing all outside audiences.

And yet suddenly, a visitor arrived.

The unannounced guest was one who could claim the seat of honor from Alicia, mistress of Luderne.

“I greet Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”

Alicia bowed to the man seated in the place of honor in her reception room.

“Have you been well? Please sit.”

Occupying the place of honor in another’s house, Reichardt spoke as though he were the master of the room.

“And has Your Highness also been well?”

Alicia replied politely and sat down.

She had been dragged abruptly from the library, where she had been reading, after being told that the Grand Duke was waiting in the reception room.

Though she could not accuse the Grand Duke of rudeness, it was difficult to fully suppress her displeasure.

As Daisy had led her from the library into the reception room, Alicia had wondered how she should act.

There was no time to think deeply, given how sudden it all was.

She barely managed to recall her resolve not to look flustered and panicked.

Thankfully, she did not appear so.

But she kept leaving her gaze vacant, staring absentmindedly.

She tried not to, but ever since entering, her eyes had been fixed on the seat of honor.

Though sunset burned outside, inside the reception room it felt as though sunlight streamed in.

It was because of the man sitting so leisurely in the chair.

Reichardt, who usually dressed only formally enough not to offend courtesy, was dressed in full ceremonial attire, as if attending a grand ball.

His golden eyes gazed at Alicia intently, sometimes giving her a faint smile.

“Thanks to you.”

Meeting those amber eyes that stared at her, Alicia barely came to her senses.

The reception room felt strangely warm.

The weather must have grown milder.

Ahem.

Silently clearing her throat, Alicia raised her gaze, choosing her words.

Then her eyes met Reichardt’s again.

“Are you attending today’s party?”

“No.”

“Your clothes are beautiful.”

Alicia wanted to stop herself from speaking nonsense.

But whenever she came to her senses, she realized she had blurted something foolish or left her gaze vacant.

She wasn’t even sure what she had just said.

“Ah, because I must look good.”

Reichardt smiled as he spoke.

Alicia wanted to escape from her dazed state.

Judging by the mood, he was speaking to her, but she could not quite understand.

“……”

Considering the Grand Duke’s usual disposition, it seemed all the stranger.

Since she had been brought so suddenly, she encouraged herself that as long as she didn’t make a big mistake, it would be fine.

“Will you not give me a kiss today?”

Reichardt, sitting with the sunset at his back, smiled faintly.

His golden hair caught the light of the setting sun, scattering in brilliance.

“What? N-no…”

Flustered, Alicia stammered anything that came to mind.

As she fumbled for words, clang!

A sharp noise rang out by the door.

Daisy, who had been bringing in tea, had dropped the tray and stood frozen.

Realizing her mistake, Daisy flinched as though burned.

“M-my apologies! I will clean it immediately.”

It was unlike Daisy.

“Just leave it, Daisy. Clean it later.”

Alicia tried to dismiss her.

The exact reason was unclear, but she felt a sudden embarrassment, as if a family member had caught her acting foolish.

Like when one piled on extra powder to look pretty, only for the result to be disastrous.

Like trying a new makeup style, only to realize it looked dreadful.

Perhaps this was even worse.

“No, my lady. I shall clean it!”

Daisy, who defined the best maid as one so subtle she was like air itself, now raised her voice.

It was as if all her nerves were focused on picking up the broken teacup pieces.

“Go now, Daisy.”

Alicia commanded with a forced smile.

“Yes.”

With clear reluctance, Daisy rose slowly.

Her movements were sluggish, uncharacteristically so.

The reception room door closed slowly.

Alicia glared at the seat of honor with dissatisfaction.

She wanted her piercing gaze to convey her genuine displeasure.

But then her eyes widened.

Reichardt, who had been sitting at the place of honor, stood and approached her.

Coming close enough for his clothes to brush her, he lowered himself to meet her gaze as she sat.

“First, I must apologize.”

“Your Highness…”

“You stayed by my side to help me, yet I was lost in my own thoughts, failing even to thank you and instead blaming you. I am sorry.”

Alicia looked at Reichardt in discomfort as he apologized.

“It’s fine. It’s already past. Please, rise.”

She tried to lift him, kneeling before her.

And in that moment, she briefly forgot the true reason he had blamed her.

“Alicia, you misunderstand me. I have no other woman whom I meet in secret apart from my fiancée. And I would not want my fiancée to have such a partner either.”

“I don’t. There’s no such thing.”

Alicia quickly replied to Reichardt’s words.

“My fiancée is only Alicia Rain.”

“And mine is only Your Highness.”

As if to confirm, he spoke, and Alicia answered sincerely.

“Go out with me…”

“No.”

Alicia rose from her chair.

It felt like betrayal.

No wonder he had dressed up so splendidly and flashed those sweet smiles.

“Alicia.”

“No.”

Alicia, trying to step aside, repeated her rejection to the man kneeling before her.

“I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

“N. O.”

Alicia spelled it out firmly.

“I like you.”

At the sweet confession, Alicia took a breath and replied, her voice unwavering and stern.

“I don’t like Your Highness.”

“One correction: even if we never marry and remain lovers for life, no one would dare call Alicia Rain a mere mistress. Because she is not. Alicia Rain is my only and rightful fiancée.”

“No.”

Alicia spoke firmly.

“I like you.”

Reichardt whispered his confession as if picking a fight.

Alicia, staring blankly at his face so close, hurriedly turned her gaze away.

“…I don’t like you.”

“Do you know that my hearing is unusually sharp?”

Reichardt looked steadily at Alicia as he spoke.

Alicia fought the urge to curse.

At that moment, she felt her heart pounding so loudly it might burst.

“I-it’s because I’m surprised.”

“If you’re surprised, please sit.”

Reichardt courteously suggested.

Unable to refuse, Alicia sat back down.

Reichardt did nothing further.

Yet just having his face lingering in her vision made her dizzy.

Though his expression was indifferent, glimpses of his face seemed to exude sweetness.

“……”

Alicia almost waved her hand without thinking.

Damn it.

She tried to act as though his face, which kept drawing her gaze, was not there.

She struggled to look elsewhere.

But it was impossible.

No matter her will, his presence drifted around her like a gentle spring breeze.

It was like being bound hand and foot, brainwashed.

It felt as if she herself were confessing.

Each time, Alicia steeled her resolve.

“I will not give up.”

“Neither will I.”

At Reichardt’s declaration of war, Alicia responded without backing down.

“You said you thought you knew my secret. Remarkable. I, however, have no idea.”

Reichardt politely requested Alicia’s hand resting on her lap.

About to retort that he was mocking her, she absentmindedly extended her hand.

Reichardt brought it to his lips and kissed it with a soft sound.

His lips, tender and warm, pressed against the back of her right hand.

Then, smiling, he placed a kiss on the back of her left hand.

“…!”

His face was so close, right before her nose, that she was left dumbstruck.

It was nearly within the distance of a breath.

“Since you did not give me separate treatment today, this is like a self-treatment.”

Reichardt rested his elbow on the armrest of her chair, gazing at her face in silence.